Chronic intermittent vagal nerve stimulation in the treatment of refractory epilepsy: experience in Mexico with 35 cases.

Background: The role of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) in the treatment of refractory epilepsy is still evolving and requires precision through extensive description of acute and chronic results, adverse effects and complications in specific populations.

Methods: We selected patients with refractory epilepsy subjected to VNS who had completed at least a 12-month followup. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to review and assess the effects of VNS on seizure frequency/intensity, memory, alertness, mood, postictal recovery, and quality of life (subjective scale, QoL IE-31 inventory) as well as factors (gender, age, age of onset, time of surgery, stimulation parameters, seizure frequency and type) associated with clinical response.

[Exercise test in young steers at 2800 M above sea level].

Among its different activities the Mexican Health Ministry (SSA) promotes: 1) the specification of biological standards for the Mexican population; 2) mechanisms for early detection of physiopathological changes and 3) development of the appropriate technology as a basis for primary health care. As part of this program we studied a random sample of students at the "Colegio de Bachilleres" of Cuajimalpa a suburban area of Mexico City, situated at 2800 m above sea level, part of the equipment used was produced at the Center for Development and Technological Applications (CE-DAT), an agency of SSA. Height, weight, heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP/DBP) were measured at rest in sitting position, standing up and walking on a treadmill.

[Evaluation of heart rate and blood pressure in residents of Milpa Alta, D.F].

Both the altitude of Mexico City (D.F.) and the increase in atmospheric pollutants make it important to establish parameters of comparison for cardiovascular variables, such as heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP).

Installation of a water disinfection system in a Mexico City hospital.

With a view to evaluating a small-scale water disinfection system based on production and application of oxidizing gases, the level of equivalent residual chlorine and the degree of contamination by fecal and total coliform bacteria was assessed at various points in the drinking water system of a Mexico City hospital before and after installation of the disinfection equipment. Tests done in May and June 1989, prior to installation of the equipment, showed that residual chlorine concentrations were lower than the national standard in most of the samples and that a sizable portion of these samples were also contaminated with fecal and total coliform concentrations exceeding national standards. After installation of the disinfection system at the main inflow to the hospital's drinking water supply in August 1989, the equivalent residual chlorine concentrations were found adequate and no coliform bacteria were detected.